Fall 2013 Trip - 4

Hi, We spent a second day on the Dakota and Iowa, this time planning to shoot the southbound stone train.  Before we left our motel in Sioux Falls, SD we called their office in Sioux City, IA and were told they thought the crew in Del Rapids, SD was on duty at 9:00 AM so we headed up there. 

When we arrived we found this two unit set of rebuilt Geeps sitting with a string of loaded gondolas.

A few minutes later a four unit set of SDs with a another rebuilt Geep in tow

came out of the quarry trackage and picked up a cut of loads.

They then headed out of town, or so we thought.

Actually, there were 2 more cuts of loads south of town.  The crew on the SDs just tied their train down on the main and the crew jumped into a company truck and left.  While the train was parked we tried any angles and focal lengths we could think of to photograph.

Also, we went back to a spot where we could look into the quarry.  A pair of rebuilt Geep switchers were working in the area.

Finally, at noon, just as the information that had been published indicated, the road crew came on duty, assembled their train and left.  Unfortunately, by this time clouds had moved in and sun was gone for the rest of the day.

We headed down to Baltic, SD for another grain elevator shot.

The signature location in Sioux Falls is where the railroad crosses the Big Sioux River.  This bridge is used by BNSF too.

Just beyond the bridge is a complex of tracks in downtown.

Our next location was at East 57th Street.

From Sioux Falls to Canton the D&I has trackage rights on BNSF.  There is a wye in Canton.  The north leg is the line down from Sioux Falls, the west leg is a branch that goes to Mitchell, SD and the east leg connects to the D&I trackage going south in downtown.

Between Canton and Fairview there is a sweeping curve.  It is interesting that both this location and the falls shot above would have been back lit on a sunny day.

We found a dirt road just south of Fairview and

finally got the train in Hudson.  The weather improved markedly the next day.  Thanks for looking.